Bio

Victoria’s SweetLeaf formed in November 2011 when singer-guitarist Chris Jones responded to an online ad. “Victoria’s ska scene and music scene in general is so supportive of new talent,” says Jones. “I love the bands in this town and all the people that come out to move their feet.” After six months of rehearsals, SweetLeaf made its debut at an underground warehouse show thrown for members of the Victoria BC Ska Society, a non-profit organization that produces the yearly Victoria Ska Festival. Since then, the group has honed their live performance to be sharp and energetic.“Man, now that the days of making money from recordings are over, a live show is a band’s bread-and-butter,” explains Jones. “We want to be the [band] you leave talking about, waiting for our next one.”

When listening to SweetLeaf, who wields a three-piece horn section, one can sense inspiration from the upbeat 90’s ska sound of bands such as Reel Big Fish and No Doubt. But as Jones contests, SweetLeaf is more than just a ska band. “We’ve never had any boundaries in what genre of music moves us. Hip hop, funk, ska, punk, jazz, soul, bluegrass – really anything that’s original.”